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Deception in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Deception in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In William Shakespeare's comedic play, Twelfth Night, a recurring theme is deception. The characters in the play used deception for a variety of purposes. Viola's use of deception involves her disguising herself as a man in order to obtain a job with the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. On the other hand, Maria, Olivia's servant, writes a letter to Malvolio in Olivia's handwriting to make Malvolio act foolishly because of his love for Olivia. While some use deception as a means of survival, others use deception to trick others and make them act foolishly.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

Misperception and Deception in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Misperception and Deception in Twelfth Night Twelfth Night is likely one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining and complete comedy. This romance explores a generous wealth of themes and issues. The most recurrent theme is the relationship between misperception and deception. As a result of their environment and immediate circumstances, men are forced into misperceptions. Paradoxically, they are completely trapped by these illusions. Between the bad fortune they encounter and the bad fortune they themselves generate, they become caught between a rock and a hard place; they are victims of deceit as well as their own folly.... [tags: Twelfth Night William Shakespeare]:: 8 Works Cited

Different Forms of Disguise and Deception in Twelfth Night
- Different Forms of Disguise and Deception in Twelfth Night Twelfth Night is said to be Shakespeare's most complete comedy. As in most comedies, Twelfth Night celebrates different forms of disguise and deception in order to make the play more entertaining. ”There's something in it that is deceivable”(ActIV, ScIII), indeed the crux of the play is based on disguise and deception. The most significant deception would definitely be Viola’s disguise as Orsino’s page, Cesario, which makes the story remarkably intriguing.... [tags: Papers]

The Use of Deception in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- The Use of Deception in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Deception is a key theme in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The characters must use deception to obtain good things, escape bad situations, or to play cruel hilarious ticks on other people. One example of deception is when Viola clothes herself in men's clothing in order to obtain a job under the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. During another scene Sir Andrew, Fabian, Maria, and Sir Toby Belch trick Malvolio into making a fool of himself.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

How Shakespeare Explores the Theme of Deception and Self-Deception in Twelfth Night
- How Shakespeare Explores the Theme of Deception and Self-Deception in Twelfth Night Deception is the use of deceit that deceives everyone around you including yourself. It is the fact or state of being deceived. It can be a ruse or a trick in disguise, which deludes, giving a sense of indirection. It’s a misleading falsehood. One can deceive by running away from even their true self either physically or mentally. Self-deception on the other hand is the act of deluding oneself by creating illusionary ideas.... [tags: Papers]

The Theme of Deception in Act One of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
- The Theme of Deception in Act One of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare The theme of deception runs very strong in Act One. Almost all the characters seem to either be deceiving someone, or being deceived themselves. Orsino is the first deceiver we meet. He is also being deceived, by himself. He is fooling himself by believing that he only has to tell a woman he loves her, and she will fall in love with him. He is in love with the idea of love itself. He is so infatuated with love, he makes parallels about love.... [tags: Papers]

The Themes of Deception and Self-Deceit in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- The Themes of Deception and Self-Deceit in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Works Cited Missing The comical play, Twelfth night, which was written by Shakespeare, is a classic example of seventeenth century humour, wit, deception and self-deceit. In the play we see how twin Viola and Sebastian are separated, and they both think that one another is dead; "My brother, he is in Elysium" (Act I i line 1) but are reunited in disguise, in a land of madness and delirium, called Illyria.... [tags: Papers]

Deception and Its Dramatic Effects in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night
- Deception and Its Dramatic Effects in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night Shakespeare uses deception and trickery in both "Twelfth Night" and "Much Ado" to provide humour and dramatic irony for the audience. The deception also furthers the plot or sub-plot. The dramatic effects of this trickery are the irony, anticipation and empathy with the characters. In the scene from "Much Ado", deception is used to create a romance which turns out to be more than is intended by the characters doing the deceiving.... [tags: Papers]

The Consequences of Deception
- ... When she is stranded in Illyria Viola employs the use of deception in order to become Cesario in order to work for the Duke, Orsino. Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke. Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him. It may be worth thy pains, for I can sing And speak to him in many sorts of music That will allow me very worth his service. 1.2.58 It could be said that the use of disguise by Viola was not done with a malicious intent, however due to her deception the complex romantic plot between Orsino, Olivia and Cesario is constructed.... [tags: Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night]:: 1 Works Cited

Use of Disguise in Twelfth Night
- Twelfth Night, "there's something in it that is deceivable". Disguise is very important as a theme in the Twelfth Night. In fact, disguise is a crucial plot to the play. It is the thread which runs through the play from start to end and holds it all together. Yet, paradoxically along the way there are many problems, deceptions and illusions, providing a comment on human behavior and creating comedy. Women's parts were played by boy actors in Shakespeare's day, so the audience would have found special sophistication in Viola's part: a boy dressing up as a woman who, in the play disguises herself as a man.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

Analyzing Themes in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- William Shakespeare, an English writer in the seventeenth century. He is considered to be the most influential writer in English literature. He wrote various genres, but the common types he wrote were: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories. Among the many plays he wrote he wrote one his most famous play, “Twelfth Night”, which he wrote during the middle of his career. “Twelfth Night” is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies that he has written. In addition to it is also the only play that he wrote that has an alternate title which is called, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will”.... [tags: Twelfth Night]:: 6 Works Cited

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- There’s nothing better than a comedy to lift your spirits up with baskets full of laughter. I like the idea of comedies when there’s a complete misunderstanding, trickery or when things go wrong. For example in one of the episodes of My Wife and Kids when a girl called Claire tells her dad that there will be photograph day in school. So she asks her dad for a massive photograph of her to put on the wall. Her dad said no. On the day of the school photograph when she woke up, her right cheek was swollen-much bigger than the other.... [tags: Twelfth Night, Olivia, Cesario, comedy, The Elizab]

The Foolishness in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- The Foolishness in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night William Shakespeare used a unique device to explain how foolishness is an unavoidable part of everyday life. He employed many specific examples of foolishness in his comedy titled Twelfth Night. Each of the characters he created were all foolish in one way or another. Not only do the characters entertain the audience, but also educate the audience as they portray mankind avoiding obvious truth. Shakespeare takes a humorous approach to expose the ways we fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. As the story unfolds, the characters discover their faults before they can do any real harm to themselves... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 2 Works Cited

Feste in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Feste in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, it is ironic how many times the fool is said to be dishonest, when, in fact, his role proves entirely opposite. Though sometimes the characters do not realize his hidden messages, the reader can instantly comprehend Feste's figurative language, which is evident in every scene in which the fool appears. Whether he is singing to Orsino, arguing with Malvolio, or playing around with Viola, Feste always manages to sneak in a few symbolic foretokens before his exit.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]

Twelfth Night Essay: The Necessity of Cross-dressing
- The Necessity of Cross-dressing Twelfth Night The action of Twelfth Night begins shortly after a damaging tempest shipwrecks the heroine, casting her upon foreign shores. Upon arrival in this strange seaport, Viola--like the Princess Leonide--dons male disguise which facilitates both employment and time enough to orient herself in this unfamiliar territory. Viola's transvestism functions as emblematic of the antic nature of Illyrian society. As contemporary feminist and Shakespearean scholars are quick to point out, cross-dressing foregrounds not only the concept of role playing and thus the constructed or performative nature of gender but also the machinations of power.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 4 Works Cited

The Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- The Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare The Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's most delightful comedies. It lets us laugh and appreciate the foolishness of everyday human beings and teaches us that the obvious fools are indeed not the fools but the wise ones. To never take anything for granted and to always keep hope that things will work out in the end. Shakespeare takes his exaggeration to the limit, aiming for ludicrous rather than ridiculous. His talent is well displayed when he turns people's much misfortune into this absurdly hilarious comedy.... [tags: Papers]

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night William Shakespeare was baptised on the 26th April 1564, and as it was the tradition for children to be taken to the church for this only a few days after birth, April 23rd has been traditionally held as his actual birthday. It also fits relatively nicely for English person to be born on St. George's Day as this represents England. He was born in Stratford upon Avon. In 1601, near the middle of Shakespeare's career, it is assumed he wrote the play Twelfth Night.... [tags: Papers]

Analysis of "Twelfth Night"
- William Shakespeare, arguably the most important writer in all of English Literature, is certainly the most influential playwright of the English Renaissance. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in rural northern England, he was the son of a middle class glove maker. Competing against such illustrious company as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Johnson, Shakespeare quickly became one of the most popular playwrights in the city of London, and a favourite of the monarch, the powerful Queen Elizabeth I.... [tags: European Literature]

Twelfth Night and Sexuality
- An Imitation of Ignorance The play Twelfth Night encapsulates what it meant to be a man and women throughout the 16th century. The roles of each gender were set in stone, and one could not publicly cross over under any circumstances. During Shakespearean times women were not even allowed to portray themselves on stage, men played their roles instead. In my opinion Shakespeare uses the play to show the hypocrisy of the status quo that held people from expressing their true identity. Twelfth Night demonstrates that professions should not be given on a gender basis, skill should be the only consideration.... [tags: essays research papers]

Comedy in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Comedy in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night 'Twelfth Night' is the only one of Shakespeare's plays to have an alternative title: the play is actually called 'Twelfth Night', or 'What You Will'. "Twelfth Night" is usually considered to be a reference to Epiphany, or the twelfth night of the Christmas celebration. In the Elizabethan times this holiday was celebrated as a festival in which everything was turned upside down, much like the chaotic world of Illyria in the play.... [tags: Papers]

Function of Disguise in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- Function of Disguise in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is a play based around disguise in the form of deception and becoming someone different. In Twelfth Night, disguise takes many different shapes from physical disguise to mental disguise. Disguise is one of the main topics of the play and helps to create the plot. It brings in confusion and comedy as well as the darker and sadder side of the play which is disguised as fun and happiness.... [tags: Papers]

The Function of Different Settings in A Doll's House and Twelfth Night
- The Function of Different Settings in A Doll's House and Twelfth Night The setting comparison and deliberation in this essay is between Henric Ibsen's "A Doll's House" and William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". "A Doll's House" deals with the social life and duty, the woman's proper place and role within the family and the society. "Twelfth Night" is about illusion, deception, disguises, madness, and the extraordinary things that love will cause us to do and to see. The plot of the "Twelfth Night" takes place in Illyria, the unreal, fairy-land, the land of illusions and dreams.... [tags: Papers]

The Function of Disguise in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- The Function of Disguise in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night is based around disguise and deception, both mental and physical. The deception leads to a lot of misunderstanding and subsequently, a lot of humour. The tale begins in Illyria with the Duke Orsino, who is suffering due to his unrequited love for the Lady Olivia. The Lady is also suffering from the recent loss of her brother and father, and currently wants nothing to do with the equally mournful Duke.... [tags: Papers]

Compare and Contrast of Mosquito Coast and Twelfth Night
- The novel Mosquito Coast and the play Twelfth Night both contain similar and dissimilar aspects to them. In both these works there are characters who through deception and trickery, are later enlightened to the truth. Themes of actuality and truth become quite apparent in these works. Though completely different written pieces (Twelfth Night with its comedic enlightenment, and Mosquito Coast with its serious "growing up" style enlightenment) are both comprised of the latter truth element where an inevitable realization of reality is reached in the end.... [tags: enlightenment, trickery, reality, truth]

Twelfth Night by Trevor Nunn (Screen Play)
- ... Meanwhile Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, who also survived the shipwreck, comes to IIIyria. His sea-captain friend, Antonio, is a wanted man for piracy against Orsino. The resemblance between Cesario and Sebastian leads the jealous Sir Andrew to challenge Cesario to a duel. Antonio intervenes to defend Cesario whom he thinks is his friend Sebastian, and is arrested. Olivia has in the meantime met and become betrothed to Sebastian. Cesario is accused of deserting both Antonio and Olivia when the real Sebastian arrives to apologize for fighting Sir Toby.... [tags: cinematography and filming breakdown]

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Task: write the script of an interview with an actor/actress who has taken one of the leading roles in the play Twelfth Night. Introduction ============ Hi, tonight I am here with Mel Gibson who played Malvolio in the marvellous film, 'Twelfth Night'. I will be asking him some questions about his character in the film. ===================================================================== What did you like about Malvolio. ================================= I think in twelfth night we encounter several interesting characters.... [tags: Papers]

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night The final act is a simple scene in this romantic Shakesperian comedy. It brings together all the threads of the storyline the plots, mistakes and confusions. It shows Cesario (Viola) being accused of deception, lies and acts of violence by a number of others including Orsino, Olivia, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Antonio. The scene is set outside Olivia's house. It begins with Feste (the fool) and Fabian negotiating with each other over Fabian being allowed to see the letter.... [tags: Papers]

Twelfth Night
- Twelfth Night “Twelfth Night is a comedy of light and shade. Its characters are not unreservedly happy and the events are not unreservedly humorous.” Discuss. As a comedy, Twelfth Night is obviously intending to not only entertain its audience but also point out problems in society. It is imperative to entire merit of the play not to be realistic but to allow for empathy. Therefor to have a comedy of complete lightheartedness there would be no balance and hence no avenue for audience interaction.... [tags: essays research papers]

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Shakespeare's Twelfth Night A study of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, showing how Shakespeare's choice of form, structure and language shape meaning Wit, and't be thy will, put me into good fooling. Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools; and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man. For what says Quinapalus. 'Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.' Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed to an audience from different social classes and of varying levels of intellect.... [tags: Literature William Shakespeare Essays]

Characters of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- Characters of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare The title "What you Will" is a perfect summary of the whole play. This story is about deception in character, being something you are not; whether it being disguising gender, true feelings or beliefs. We never no the real to why Viola chose to disguise her gender. We must assume that she wants to conceal her identity until she has gathered enough information about where she is and maybe feels safer dressed as a boy. He is resourceful and does not take pity on herself, despite the fact she thinks she has lost her brother she quickly moves on and tries to make do with the situation.... [tags: Papers]

Comparing the Role of Women in Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night
- The Role of Women in Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night Many critics have lambasted the female characters in Shakespeare's plays as two-dimensional and unrealistic portrayals of subservient women. Others have asserted that the roles of women in his plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in. Two works, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, stand out particularly well in regards to Shakespeare's use of female characters. After examining these two plays, one will see that Shakespeare, though conforming to contemporary attitudes of women, circumvented them by creating resolute female characters with a strong sense of self. The Taming of t... [tags: comparison compare contrast essays]:: 4 Works Cited

Character of Malvolio in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
- Character of Malvolio in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night we encounter several interesting characters. The character I found to be most interesting and most different from the others was Malvolio. Malvolio is the servant of Olivia. Although he belongs to the servant class, he believes strongly that he is better than the individuals that he serves. Malvolio often takes it upon himself to try to discipline others when Olivia is not around. For example he even takes it upon himself to discipline Sir Toby, his social superior.... [tags: Papers]

Act 1 of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Act 1 of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Act one is the first act of the play. It is very important to understand it as a basis to understand the following acts. It is divided into five scenes. Each scene has its own main theme, which is very important for the rest of the play. In scene one, although the scene is short, it tells the Elizabethan audience that the Duke of Illyria, Orsino is madly in love with a beautiful countess, Olivia. He is so madly in love that he cannot concentrate on anything.... [tags: Papers]

Viola and Beatrice in Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing
- Viola and Beatrice both take on men's roles, Viola that of a manservant and Beatrice that of the perpetual bachelor and the clown: "I was born to speak all mirth and no matter," she says to Don Pedro [II.i.343-4]. They appear to be actors and manipulators, much more so than their female predecessors, who are mostly reactive and manipulated, such as Hermia, Helena, Titania, and Gertrude. None of these women seemed in charge of her own destiny, but tricked by the schemes of men and later scorned or humiliated as a result of male machinations.... [tags: comparison compare contrast essays]:: 5 Works Cited

Literary Analysis of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a play with themes that parallel the folly of the festival it is named after. The main storyline of the plot plays on this a lot by mixing up the stereotypes around gender that were very present at the time. However, a sub-plot involving secondary characters defines this theme even more. It takes the idea even further by relating servants’ attempts to blur the lines between social classes. Twelfth Night’s Maria and Malvolio both have great aspirations to rise above their social class.... [tags: Twelfth Night]

The Purpose of Disguise in Twelfth Night
- Theme of Disguise in Twelfth Night The notion of disguise is very important theme within Twelfth Night. From my point of view I feel that the crux of the play is primarily based on this concept. Indeed "there's something in it that is deceivable" summarizes this point precisely. Disguise runs like a thread through the play from start to end and holds it all together just as tightly as thread would fabric. Yet, paradoxically as the plot progresses there are many problems, deceptions and illusions, which provide a comment on human behavior and creating the needed escape of comedy.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 5 Works Cited

Ongoing Theme of Love in William Shakespeare's Play Twelfth Night
- The play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a comedy with the ongoing theme of love. In the play we come to see that none of the relationships that develop are considered normal, or what we call true love because true love has no reason, often it just occurs without knowing. However if you consider the relationships in this play you can see that the characters are all searching for love or have a reason to find love. For example Malvolio needs Olivia’s love because this way he can gain status and wealth , Sir Andrew on the other hand wants Olivia’s love because this is what everyone has convinced him into thinking.... [tags: Twelfth Night]

Malvolio: The Perfect Outcast In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
- In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio is considered an outcast by almost everyone in the play. He doesn’t act the same way that any of the other characters act, in that he doesn’t participate in any of their activities, he enforces rules that the others could care less about, and he is just overall a socially awkward guy. Malvolio not only claims to adhere to the rules of the household himself, but uses his relations with Olivia to try and help make the others follow the rules as well.... [tags: Twelfth Night]:: 5 Works Cited

Types of Love exposed in Twelfth Night
- The Merriam Webster dictionary defines love as “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person” - however, this does not encompass a fraction of the feeling a person has when he or she loves something. Because the sensation differs from one person to the next, there is no possible way to accurately define love. However, it is possible to try to understand love by breaking it down into several categories. Humans have been pondering this idea for centuries, with one of the earliest examples being found in the Christian Bible.... [tags: twelfth night, shakespeare, love, orsino]:: 4 Works Cited

Love and Deceit in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
- Love, quite an indescribable word, has such an impact upon people as to cause deceit and overall confusion in every relationship. In Will Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night or What You Will, Shakespeare attempts to have a great balance of both cruelty and joy while also containing comical qualities to this romantic play. Throughout Twelfth Night or What You Will, Shakespeare uses puns with characters such as Viola to cross-dress and change their identity. "She attires herself in the disguise of a page, as the best protection against uncivil comments, till she can gain some tidings of her brother" (O'Connor) while Viola is disguising herself as a boy, she falls in love with her employer, Duke... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 7 Works Cited

The Purpose of the Sub-plot in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
- Twelfth Night or What You Will is one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. It has been performed hundreds of times and adapted into a number of modern films. The main plot of the play follows Viola, a girl who is rescued from a shipwreck and enters into the service of the Duke Orsino disguised as a man. Rising quickly in his estimation, Viola begins delivering messages of love on his behalf to Olivia, a noble woman who has no interest in Orsino’s advances. Over the course of the play Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola, Viola falls in love with Orsino, and Viola’s twin brother Sebastian, who supposedly died in the shipwreck, returns.... [tags: Twelfth Night Sub-plot]:: 3 Works Cited

Examining Viola's Character in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- Examining the relationship between speech, public space and authority for Viola's Character in Twelfth Night One of the most celebrated and authoritative women in the 16th century was Elizabeth I. Even though the authority was at woman's hands at that time, a dominant woman was unnatural in the society itself. The presence of such a powerful female figure creates an interesting situation for dramatists and playwrights in terms of depicting women's status at that time. By using the psychological concept ,liminality; I am going to examine the relationship between Viola's speech , society's authority and her public space which is consists of two main parts: her private life as Viola and he... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Malvolio the Outcast...Sort Of
- In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio is considered an outcast by everyone else in the play except Olivia. He doesn’t act the same way that any of the other characters act, and he seems to be a real stickler for the rules, which upsets certain characters more than others. But it is this strict coherence to the rules that allows Malvolio to have such a high position in Olivia’s household. While Malvolio may be considered an outcast to most of the characters in the play, Olivia shows concern for Malvolio and his well-being.... [tags: Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, ]:: 6 Works Cited

More than Friends William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
- William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which is commonly believed to criticize society’s romanticized idea of love, demonstrates that even though love may seem unachievable, it is still possible to find it even in the most unlikely places. Shakespeare illustrates this idea in Twelfth Night through the characters Antonio and Sebastian by subtly suggesting that Antonio and Sebastian are more than just friends. It is Sebastian’s physical beauty that attracts Antonio to him, which leads him to devote himself to Sebastian as a sign of love.... [tags: Shakespeare, Twelfth Night]:: 1 Works Cited

The Importance of Olivia in Twelfth Night
- The Importance of Olivia in Twelfth Night Olivia, in Twelfth Night, is the character who unifies the play by her involvement in each of the three plots. Olivia is loved by Orsino, but she loves Cesario. Olivia plays a vital role in the plot to gull Malvolio, although she is unaware of it. Olivia also has an active role in the plot to dupe Sir Andrew because he is jealous of her attention towards Cesario. In conlusion Olivia is the one who inifies the play the best.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]

The Fool as a Playwright in Twelfth Night
- Feste, the fool character in Twelfth Night, in many ways represents a playwright figure, and embodies the reach and tools of the theater. He criticizes, manipulates and entertains the other characters while causing them to reflect on their life situations, which is similar to the way a playwright such as Shakespeare interacts with his audience. Furthermore, more so than the other characters in the play he accomplishes this in a highly performative way, involving song and clever wordplay that must be decoded, and is thus particularly reflective of the mechanisms at the command of the playwright.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

Plethora of Fools in Twelfth Night
- Plethora of Fools in Twelfth Night Folly is one of the main weaknesses in Twelfth Night with a number of characters portraying their own strange foolish ways. Feste is the professional fool; he is the most noticeable fool and is very quickly recognised by the audience as an intelligent man. Orsino and Olivia are really foolish because of the decisions they make but they are regarded as intelligent. The biggest fool of all is Olivia's steward, Malvolio. Feste was obviously the most noticeable fool.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]

Essay on Irony in Twelfth Night
- Realizing that her disguise has produced unexpected results, Viola makes an allusion to the Gordon knot in order to describe the perceived difficulty of extricating herself from the confusion. Viola, in the act of reinterpreting herself as a man for the main purpose of protection, has found herself the body from which other characters can derive their own interpretations. As I am man, My state is desperate for my master's love: As I am woman (now alas the day!) What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 14 Works Cited

The Fools in Twelfth Night
- The Fools of Twelfth Night It is not unusual that the fool should be a prominent figure and make an important contribution in forming the confusion and the humor in an Elizabethan drama. In William Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, Feste the clown is not the only fool who is subject to foolery. He and many other characters combine their silly acts and wits to invade other characters that either escape reality or live a dream. In Twelfth Night, Feste, Maria and Sir Toby are the fools that make the comedy work in many senses.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 3 Works Cited

Gender Roles in Twelfth Night
- Born on approximately April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. His literary legacy included 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five major poems. Among his many plays is the notable, Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy, placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily. The play opens with Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, expressing his deep love for the Countess Olivia.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night]:: 7 Works Cited

Viola's Disguise in Twelfth Night
- As in most comedies, William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night extensively uses disguises, masks and mistaken identities to add to the comical nature of the play. Viola's disguise as Orsino's page, Cesario, becomes crucial to the action in the play. Without this important element, the action in the play would slow down dramatically, making the story much less intriguing. In addition to making the play less interesting, the disguise is also necessary to develop the storyline involving Sebastian, and the confusion that his return creates.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]

Wisdom in Twelfth Night
- Beyond Seriousness to Wisdom in Twelfth Night Shakespeare seems preoccupied with madness and folly in Twelfth Night. The word "fool" and its variants ("foolery," "foolish," and so forth) appear eighty times in the play, and the word "folly" occurs seven times. There are, in addition, other means of indicating foolishness such as Maria's "Now, sir, thought is free" (1.3.67). As Feste suggests, "Foolery ... does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere" (3.1.39-40). Robert Armin, who originated the role of Feste, was fascinated by fools and wrote Foole upon Foole, a book which treated this subject.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 10 Works Cited

Viola as Cesario Faces The Greatest Challenges In The Play Twelfth Night
- The play twelfth night, though largely a comedy, has it's fair share of challenges and obstacles which it's characters face throughout the plot. These revolve around love, honour and the death and loss of loved ones. However one character stands out to me as having faced the most difficult and trying of challenges, yet emerged with her pride and dignity intact. She coped well with all the problems that were thrown at her with a quiet resilience far beyond her years, and is worthy of our admiration.... [tags: Character Analysis Twelfth Night Shakespeare]

The Character of Sebastian in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night:
- The Character of Sebastian in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Sebastian's presence in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: or What You Will is a vexation. More pointedly, it is his sudden marriage to Olivia which troubles me so. Was he written in to give a parallel storyline between Olivia and Viola. Was he a convenient way to have a double wedding, which Shakespeare seemed to prefer for his happy endings. Or, could there be some other meaning to Sebastian. The last day of the Christmas season is January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, when Christ was revealed to the world in the personage of the Magi.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 6 Works Cited

Twelfth Night Essay: Exploration of Love
- Exploration of Love in Twelfth Night In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love with precise detail. According to "Webster's New World Dictionary," love is defined as "a strong affection or liking for someone." Throughout the play Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self love and friendship. "Twelfth Night" consists of many love triangles, however many of the characters who are tangled up in the web of love are blind to see that their emotions and feelings toward other characters are untrue.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 2 Works Cited

Essay on Love and Gender in Twelfth Night
- Love and Gender in Twelfth Night Shakespeare's Twelfth Night examines patterns of love and courtship through a twisting of gender roles. In Act 3, scene 1, Olivia displays the confusion created for both characters and audience as she takes on the traditionally male role of wooer in an attempt to win the disguised Viola, or Cesario. Olivia praises Cesario's beauty and then addresses him with the belief that his "scorn" (3.1.134) only reveals his hidden love. However, Olivia's mistaken interpretation of Cesario's manner is only the surface problem presented by her speech.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 6 Works Cited

Twelfth Night Essay: Feste is No Fool
- Feste is No Fool in Twelfth Night In most Shakespearean romantic comedies, there is a character that plays the part of a truth-teller. And in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night it is no different. Feste, a clown, through his mixed up words and songs enlightens the other characters whilst playing the role of the truth-teller. Through aiding the Duke with his patience, helping Viola with her love problems, and having a major role in Malvolio's downfall, Feste holds one of the primary parts of the play.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 2 Works Cited

The Brilliant Comedy of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- School House Rock teaches that “three is a magic number.” We see threes all over the place: id, ego, superego; mother, father, child; father, son, holy ghost; reading, writing, ‘rithmatic. One place where the magic of three does not fit is in romance. Sex (conventionally and biologically) only has room for twos: sperm and egg; man and wife; big spoon and little spoon. Groups of three in the world of love create tension for the characters and audience, and the discomfort with the situation and sense of powerlessness leads to comedy.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

True Love in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- True Love in Twelfth Night Unlike the other characters in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Viola's feelings of love are genuine. She is not mistaken about Orsino's true nature and loves him for who he really is, while the other characters in the play seem to be in love with an illusion. Viola's love for Orsino does not alter during the play, nor is it transferred to another person. Viola, alone in a strange land, disguises herself as a man in order to gain access to Duke Orsino's palace.... [tags: Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]:: 7 Works Cited

Twelfth Night Essay: Olivia's Denial
- After first reading Twelfth Night I was puzzled at Olivia's denial of Orsino's hand in marriage and her subsequent desire for Cesario. After considerable thought and research, I intend to propose and support the argument that Olivia is not being simply "coy" towards Orsino, nor does she desire Cesario because he/she is attracted to him/her. She denies Orsino because of her refusal to marry a man of higher rank and desires to marry Cesario because he is a man of lower rank. Olivia wants to give the impression that her mourning of her brother's death doesn't allow for the admittance of suitors.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 2 Works Cited

Twelfth Night Essays: Three Types of Love
- Three Types of Love in Twelfth Night In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love with precise detail. According to "Webster's New World Dictionary," love is defined as "a strong affection or liking for someone." Throughout the play Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self love and friendship. "Twelfth Night" consists of a large number of love triangles, however many of the characters who are tangled up in the web of love are blind to see that their emotions and feelings toward other characters are untrue and based merely on falsification.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 2 Works Cited

Free Essays - Importance of Feste in Twelfth Night
- Importance of Feste in Twelfth Night Feste, the amusing clown, plays a most important part in the play. He is able to take on several roles, and is indeed "for all waters"; from serious to comic, learned to nonsensical, the wit or the practical joker; just as the occasion seems to suggest. Because he is a part of both the main and sub plot, Feste is the character, who links both parts of the play together, making Twelfth Night a whole. The clown contributes towards the humourous entertainment of this play through his numerous puns and jokes.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]

Essay on Twelfth Night: A Gender-Bending Journey
- Twelfth Night: A Gender-Bending Journey Shakespeare enjoyed writing passionate plays about young lovers, but, after a while, the formula became exhausted and the Bard was forced to dig deeper, creatively speaking. Twelfth Night is an example of a Shakespearean love tale with a slight twist to keep things interesting. This play was the “Tootsie” of its time. Twelfth Night takes the audience on a gender-bending journey, while maintaining all the elements of true love throughout. At one point, Olivia wears a disguise in order to take on the traditionally male role of wooing her romantic interest, Cesario, who is also disguised.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 6 Works Cited

Free Essays - Use of Excessiveness in Twelfth Night
- Use of Excessiveness in Twelfth Night There are many methods to catching an audience's attention. Shakespeare for example, uses the method of excessiveness in his characters. Proof of this is shown in various forms throughout the novel, beginning with Orsino's obsessed love of Olivia. Then followed by Olivia's mourning for her long lost brother, and then her sudden change in interest. As well as thirdly, Viola's attitude of excess towards Orsino, we can see the method used for yet another time.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]

Twelfth Night Essays: Learning About Love
- In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, it is clearly evident that the fluctuation in attitude in the dual role, situation and tribulations imposed upon the character of Viola/Cesario gives rise to a better understanding of both sexes, and thus, allows Viola to have a better understanding for Orsino. Through the love of Orsino and Olivia, Viola learns the difficulties of love from both standpoints, man and woman's. Near the opening of the play, when Viola is adopting her male identity, she creates another self like two masks and may decide to wear one or the other while swinging between the two identities in emotion and in character.... [tags: Twelfth Night essays]:: 1 Works Cited

Malvolio in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Malvolio in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night The problem involving Malvolio in Twelfth Night has been known for a long time but still very difficult. The gist of it is this. A lot of modern readers or spectators feel that the way in which Malvolio is treated is extremely bad. We expect him to become the centre of humour; we know that in the business of comedy, a very puritanical and rather joyless figure is likely to receive comedic humiliation; but in this case the humiliation that Malvolio gets, seems protracted and harsh.... [tags: Malvolio William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]

Disguise in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night
- Disguise in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night Disguise is a device Shakespeare employs frequently in both Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night. It allows a disguised character like the Duke of Vienna to glean information that would otherwise go unknown, and a character like Viola to take advantage of potentially beneficial situations. It gives these characters access to worlds that might otherwise be denied; for the Duke, he can now "haunt assemblies / Where youth and cost a witless bravery keeps" (1.4.9-10).... [tags: Measure Twelfth Night Essays Shakespeare]:: 3 Works Cited

Notes on Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
- Act I "'Get you to your lord. I cannot love him. Let him send no more, Unless, perchance, you come to me again.'"-- Olivia (Shakespeare 25) Olivia shows interest in Cesario. This stirs up more dramatic irony as the audience knows that Cesario is actually Viola in disguise. Her interest in Cesario makes it more difficult for Orsino to woo her and for Viola to eventually reveal herself. What was before a simple plot of a man trying to win over the girl, is now a complex story of a love triangle. "'If it be a suit from the Count, I am sick, or not at home.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 1 Works Cited

Cross-dressing in Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice
- Cross-dressing in Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Merchant of Venice Any theatrical performance requires a two-fold exchange. The performers must act in such a way as to engage the audience and draw them into the story of the stage. However, the audience itself must yield to the imagination, allowing at times the irrational to take precedent over rational expectations. This exchange between performers and audience creates the dramatic experience; one cannot exist without the other.... [tags: Twelfth Night Essays]:: 8 Works Cited

Love Triangle in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
- Love Triangle in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night “O, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful in the contempt and anger of his lip. A murd’rous guilt shows not itself more soon than love that would seem hid: love’s night is noon. – Cesario, by the roses of the spring, by maidhood, honor, truth, and every thing, I love thee so, that maugre all thy pride, nor wit nor reason can my passion hide. Do not extort thy reasons from this clause, for that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause; but rather reason thus with reason fetter: love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” (Shakespeare.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Love Essays]:: 2 Works Cited

Twelfth Night Comedy by Shakespeare and Its Effect on Other Writings
- Twelfth Night Comedy by Shakespeare and Its Effect on Other Writings While Great Expectations and Gulliver’s Travels were not written as comedy, humor is seen in them. The comedy in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night can be related to the comedy in those writings, although Shakespeare used a variety of comedic techniques, not used in either Great Expectations or Gulliver’s Travels. The comedy in Twelfth Night varies greatly from the comedy in Great Expectations and Gulliver’s Travels at times. Irony is a common comedic element seen in all three works.... [tags: William Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essays]

Romantic Love in William Shakespeare's As You Like it and Twelfth Night
- Romantic Love in William Shakespeare's As You Like it and Twelfth Night The fickleness of romantic love is a major theme in William Shakespeare’s comedies As You Like It and Twelfth Night, or What You Will. Shakespeare’s implicit social commentary takes the fundamentally masculine perspective of romantic relationships, which argues that a clear-cut dichotomy exists between love and physical attraction. According to evolutionary psychological theory, females often tend to automatically associate the emotion of love with physicality and the physical act of sex because an emotional bond with a mate is necessary in order to establish a secure family unit.... [tags: Shakespeare You Like Twelfth Night Essays]:: 4 Works Cited

"Twelfth Night" - A Tragic Comedy
- Shakespeare’s comedies have always had a distinct subtext of tragedy as shown in Twelfth Night. It teeters on the brink of tragedian literature similar to his tragedies, such as Hamlet, through the ambiguity of the main characters and unfinished resolutions. Comedies are generally morally clear- the villains and heroes are clearly defined. Twelfth Night’s characters have a layer of ambiguity stemming from their use of illusion in the form of mistaken identity. A central theme of the play is the contrast between illusion and reality and how the characters in the play manipulate their various roles for their own benefit and against each other.... [tags: Shakespearean Literature]:: 1 Works Cited

The Language of Love in Twelfth Night
- ... Shakespeare shows characters of opposite sex in love, he shows characters of same sex in love, he shows family love, and love amongst friends. Furthermore, Biewer explains that, “If we talk of words in a semantic field as being similar, we can also point out that the words are distinguishable” (509). Meaning that although Twelfth Night has this central focus of love, each does not necessarily share the same component of love. One specific example of Shakespeare using psychology to differentiate degrees of love would be when Olivia proclaims that she has fallen in love with Viola/Cesario: Olivia: Unless the master were the man.... [tags: Shakespeare plays, character analysis]:: 5 Works Cited

The Twelfth Night: A Happy Ending?
- There is a certain degree of expectation with the genre of comedy that despite whatever difficulties appear within the play, by the end these will be resolved and the play will have a traditional happy-ending with a marriage or a celebration in the final scene. The “Twelfth Night” is no exception to this rule. Despite problems of confused identities and sexualities, the play ends with marriage for the major characters because they “have learned enough about their own foolishness to accept it wisely, and their reward, as it should be, is marriage.”(Schwartz 5140).... [tags: Shakespearean Literature]:: 7 Works Cited

The ‘Twelfth Night Twins’ Study
- ... began to study twins who were separated during early childhood and raised in different families. His findings conclude that the similarities between twins are due to genes, not environment. Captain et al (2010) - the Twelfth Night Twins Viola and Sebastian first met on September the 22nd, 2010, after 50 years of being separated by adoption at the age of two. When studied by behavioural psychologist, Dr Antonio Captain, astonishing similarities were uncovered in their lives and behaviour. Both had been adopted by separate families on opposite sides of Illyria therefore had grown up within 60 miles of each other.... [tags: personalities, attitude, telephaty]

Faults of Love in Twelfth Night
- Faults of Love in Twelfth Night Human emotion is a very fickle and ever changing thing that can range from fury to jubilance to depression depending on the situation the person is in at any point in time. These ever changing emotions shape the person and their identity both psychologically and physically. A person who generally resides in a more hostile environment would be more prone to having negative emotions, sometimes even in calm or benign situations. Vice versa, someone who generally resides in a benign or joyful environment can have a calmer or more positive reaction towards a hostile situation.... [tags: Shakespeare comedies, character analysis]:: 10 Works Cited

Love and Desire in "Twelfth Night"
- According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, love is defined as “strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; attraction based on sexual desire; affection and tenderness felt by lovers; affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interest; or an assurance of love.” In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, three different types of love are experienced: friendship love, true love, and self love. Each character experiences a different type of love, and in some cases it is not what they originally expected.... [tags: Shakespearean Literature]:: 2 Works Cited

Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare
- In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare portrays several characters in a controversial way. Some witty characters are portrayed as foolish, and some foolish characters are portrayed as witty. In the beginning of the play, Sir Andrew and Malvolio are presented as smart people; however, as the play progresses, the audience is exposed to their foolish sides. On the other hand, Sir Toby and Feste are portrayed as fools, but as the plot develops the audience acknowledges their wisdom. Malvolio and Sir Andrew’s foolish sides are exposed because of their gullible nature, while Feste and Sir Toby’s wisdom is revealed through their insightful remarks and brilliant prank ideas.... [tags: Character Analysis]

Viola in The Twelfth Night
- ... In Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night, Viola is very much like a spy. She knew secret information of all three people (the Duke, Olivia, and herself) in the love triangle. I have been lead to this conclusion because of both her knowledge of secrets, and by how she relayed information to and from the Duke. Many quotes showed her secret knowledge, for example, in act 2 scene 3 “My master loves her dearly; And I, poor monster, fond as much on him; And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.” (Lines 15-40) Viola knew of the pickle of love everyone was in before anyone else figured it out.... [tags: Shakespeare play characters]:: 1 Works Cited